B2 – Upper Intermediate
A town in New Zealand badly hit by the recent earthquake was the joyful receiver of a not-so-typical food donation.
Read the article below to find out what the citizens of the town collected from a kind-hearted man.
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1611/161121-junk-food.html
Discussion Questions:
- What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
- How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
- Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
- Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
47 replies on “Emergency Junk Food Flown to Earthquake Town”
I think that he made a good action by collecting and sending food for the people in the most affected location but on the other hand he though only in the short term. Perhaps he wanted people smile with the fast food maybe there are better quality, healthy and enjoyable foods products.
We can help people hit by natural desasters through donatives to some organizations like red cross or collecting medicine, clothes and long shelf live food.
I have not been volunteer nor experienced any natural disaster, only did colaborations buying some water, food and first Aids Stuff for people affected by strong rainning in Venezuela some time ago.
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1. What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
A lot of junk food? I don’t think this is an option in a natural disaster. Do you ever try to eat some McDonnals hamburguer 20 minutes after was cooked? Better no.
Sure, when the worst, you need to think on childrens. It’s good to send some toys, chocolate mikshakes or stuff likes.
Just, send something easy to package, heavy on proteins and, why not, tasty.
2. How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
On the first days, people needs water, food, blankies and a place to sleep. After, when te ‘normality’ comes, sure the will need financial support to start again.
3. Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
Yes, on a lot of them. Were I live, on autumn, is common face floods. I collaborate with a voluntere team and every year help people when it comes.
4. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
More times than I wish. Floods are normal on my living’ place.
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1 .What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
The actions of Robert Coombes are amazing. Trought these, he makes people happier. Perhaps, leaving the problems, temporarily, in a background.
2. How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
We can help people by contributing what we know: that is, if we know how to do small cures, we ease the burden on health workers.
Encouraging the children, so they are not so worried about the situation.
Offer support to the authorities.
3. Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
I have never been involved in a natural disaster.
4. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
No, I haven’t.
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1. It’s an original idea and he encourage some big food brands to collaborate. I’m sure that youngest ones were happy for a moment.
2. In my opinion, we can help people donating canned food, bottled water or rice through NGOs.
3. No, I don’t help as volunteer because of the distance but I collaborated with NGOs in some naturals disasters.
4. In my city there have only been torrential rains.
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What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
– Robert Coombes is a good human being. What is told in this article shows that he is a person with a big heart. Apart from giving aid to the towns people, he also thinks about making them happier. Making them forget for a moment about the disaster that happened.
How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
– I think that the best way to help people is making donations of money, or clothes, or basic foods. As botteled water, canned fish, bread, milk, …
Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
– No, I never has been in a circumstance like that. When I was young, about 25, I was a volunteer in a neighborhood community. Basically my tasks were to attend to the people who came to the neighborhood center.
Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
No, I never have lived a natural disater. I give thanks for it. The most similar has been torrential rains in the area where I live.
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What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
His actions were extraordinary. He thought what he could do better to help people with extra value.
How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
I think the most important thing in this situacion is restore the basic services such as electricity, water, gas and acces to food.
Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
No, I haven’t. I collaborated by giving money to NGO.
Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
I’ve never experienced a natural disaster but I felt how my bed moved in a low intensity earthquake .
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What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
I think he did what he could. He knew there was a problem that he could not resolve, but he could give them a nice day.
How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
We can collaborate with a NGO or foundations being a volunteer donating food, money, hygiene products an so on.
Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
No, I have not. I would like to be a volunteer, but I do not find an organization that I like the way they work.
Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
No, I have not. Thankfully, I have never been close to city affected by a natural disaster. The last one in Spain was in La Palma, a vulcano erupted.
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What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
The actions made by Robert tell us wich type of person is. Awesome.
How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
We can send food, water and help with restore of the infrastructures.
Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
No. I’m affiliated to some ONGs (Cruz Roja, AECC and CrisCancer) for help they, donating some money every month.
Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
If we consider pandemic a natural disaster, yes.
Here is how you can
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1.What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
I think it is an original proposal. The affected people need help and I think he did a good action. Those people need a little happiness in those difficult moments.
2.How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
People affected by the earthquake need a lot of help. As their houses have been destroyed, they need food, clothing, hygiene products and financial help.
3.Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
No, I’ve never had the chance. I have only contributed money to help those affected.
4.Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
My closest experience with a natural disaster was the Lorca earthquake in 2011. I was still too young to help.
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1. I think his intention was to give them a reason for joy for a day. That does not help those affected in their real situation but it is a way for them to relax for a while.
2. The first thing is to provide a roof for people who have become homeless, after that give them food, hygiene products, clothes and a lot of help to rebuild the buildings.
3. I have not been a direct volunteer but I have helped organize collections. In 2021 the volcano of La Palma, an island of the Canary Islands, was activated and several girls organized a raffle to get donations for those affected.
4. Yes, where I live there has been flooding several times. The worst happened when I was 6 years old and there were images that stuck in my memory.
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1. What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
I think it is a different and original action, fast food is not usually delivered in an emergency or disaster
2. How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
we can help in different ways, one of them is with food, another with money, with infrastructures and medical help.
3. Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
I have not had the opportunity to help in any natural disaster.
4. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
No, luckily I have not presented any natural disaster in person, but yes on television
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1. What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
The actions of Robert Coombes were really right because not only helped people but he made people happy above all young people.
2. How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
We can help people hit by earthquakes giving them food, warm clothing, …
3. Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
No, I have never volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster, I have not had that opportunity.
4. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
No, I have never experienced a natural disaster, in that sense I have been a lucky person.
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1. What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
In similar situations, when the world need help, it´s important that everyone can do anything, like Robert
2. How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
I think is important to ask first at goverment or emergency services what we cand do, but to attend the people affected is the first acction
3. Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
Yes, many years ago i helped in a big forest fire in my twon
4. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
Yes, how i say, i lived in first person five forets fires
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1. What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
The actions seems fine for me. He wanted help and he did it an unusual way. Maybe that isn’t the best way but he sure got what he wanted, that the children smiled.
2. How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
There are many ways. Depending on your resources you can donate money, medicine, coats, food…even you can go to earthquake site and help with the rebuilding of the town.
3. Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
Never for a natural disaster but during the covid-19 pandemic I was volunteer for to carry shopping list to the elderly in my town.
4. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
Fortunately I never experienced a natural disaster.
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Happy writing.
1- I understand his objective bu I think that maybe was better send a food & drinks not fresh. This people need eat some days more, not just one. But repeat, I understand his good intencionality.
2- I think that the people in this situation need food, drinks, a lot of psicological support & more help that the Oficial Institution (majors, presidents, etc..)
3- When I married, we donate all money for a gift of guests a one society (Open Arms) for help the Siria refuggies, but always think that when my kids will be adult, I will be to Africa for one or two month with some ONG.
4- No and I hope never live a experience similar.
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1. What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
He attempt to help the affected population and did it in a different way than is usually done.
2. How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
Sending foods and necessary thing to survive
3. Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
No, I’ve never been to a natural disaster
4. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
Luckily no, in my country there aren’t usually natural disasters
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1. What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
His initiative was very useful and helped a lot of people.
2. How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
I think that to help people hit by earthquakes is necessary to provide food, drinks and refuges.
3. Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
Yes, my family and I helped people during a flood in my village. I invited the people affected by the flood to my house and gave them food and water.
4. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
Yes. In my village there was a flood two months ago.
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1. I think, he did a good job. Probably the choice of food was not the best, but he prefered to give a moment of happiness.
2. We can help with money, clothes, food,… It is important to offer support to affected people.
3.No, I haven´t. I collaborated donating money or food.
4.No, I have never experienced any natural disaster. Now, with Covid pandemics all the word is living a similar experience as a natural disater. There are many people who are having a very bad time.
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1. What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes? I think it is a help that is not common, children really like pizzas, hamburgers and chicken nuggets, but surely they needed other things, such as medicines.
2. How can we help people hit by earthquakes? I believe that the best help is for governments to invest money in the investigation of these natural disasters, if they can be foreseen, they can act sooner and save lives.
3. Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster? Unfortunately, I have never volunteered for humanitarian action, although I would like
4. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster? Luckily, in the area where I live, there has been no natural disaster in the last 50 years
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1. What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
I believe that it is in the worst of times that the best of people come forward to help others in need.
2. How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
We can help them with food, money, offering a house, clothing. Because there are people who lose everything in such disasters like earthquakes or floods.
3. Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
No, I haven’t. I collaborated donating money or food
4. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
No. I never.
“I believe that it is in the worst of times that the best of people come forward to help others in need.” – We couldn’t agree more with you on this one!
Thank you for sharing your answers with us. Keep trying to elaborate on your answers. For example, in Question # 4, instead of just saying “No. I never.” You can say something like: “No, luckily, I have never experienced a natural disaster as these things do not usually occur in my country and fortunately, I have also never stuck in a place during a natural disaster.”
1. What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
I think he did a really good job gathering donations and try to make people happy. Moreover the situation was devastating and in these moments a simple thing could be very special. However, it had be better spends the money in food more practical or healthy.
2. How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
We can help gathering donations: money, clothes, food, slepping bags. Also, we can help cleaning and fix the houses have been affected. In addition, it is important to offer support to the affected people and follow the instructions about how to help that de authorities dictate.
3. Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
No, I haven’t. I collaborated donating money.
4. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
I had experienced a flood and a earthquake. Luckily, they weren`t be so severe.
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1. What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
it’s a great initiative
2. How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
we can send clothes, food, blankets and medicines
3. Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
No I never
4. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
when i was a childen, broke wáter dam, and my city Flooded.
1.- it is a great action. All persons help somebody need help
2.- we can collaborate with money and food
3.- no
4.- no, never
1. What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
It’s a great action. All persons can help when somebody need help.
2. How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
We can contact with ONG and gubernamentals organizations to collaborate with money, food or clothing
3. Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
No. I never had the opportunity of help with this volunteered class.
4. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
No. I never.
1. What can you say about the actions of Robert Coombes?
I like Robert Coombes´gesture. In a worst situation like that he showed the best of the human being, trying to help people in a different way, especially to kids.
2. How can we help people hit by earthquakes?
Apart from providing basics, to provide love and joy in those moments is as important as that.
3. Have you ever volunteered to help people affected by a natural disaster?
No, I´ve never taken part in this class of volunteering
4. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
I´ve never experienced any natural disaster. The closest thing was a brief earthquake suffered in Madrid 3 years ago. It was of an intensity 3, I think.